Restaurant Hood Filters: Do You Know What To Buy?
Maintaining and replacing the hood filter in your commercial
ventilation system is more important than you might think. The hood
filter is a metal square or rectangle that fits into the opening on
your hood ventilation system. Its purpose is to filter out grease from
the smoke rising off your cooking equipment. If this smoke were left
unfiltered, it would build up over time in the ventilation system and
become a major fire risk.
Therefore maintaining and replacing these filters is an
important task. Some things you should know about commercial hood
filters:
Types of Hood Filters
Unless your cooking equipment is burning mesquite or some other
sort of solid fuel, your hood ventilation system is using a baffle
filter. Baffle filters are most commonly made out of one of three types
of metal:
- Galvanized - these filters are the least expensive option. They are
rarely used in open kitchens where customers can see them because they
have a dull appearance
- Aluminum - these hood filters have an appealing sheen to
them, making them usable in open kitchens, but they are prone to
corrosion after repeated cleanings
- Stainless Steel - these filters are by far the most durable.
They are also appealing to look at and can be used in an open kitchen.
They are less prone to corrosion than aluminum as long as they are not
cleaned using bleach or other chemicals
Cleaning Your Hood Filter
Hood filters should be cleaned every day to keep them free of grease
and maximize their filtering capability. If you have a high temp
dishwasher, run your hood filters through the dishwasher. Make sure you
don't use any bleach when you clean hood filters as this will cause
rapid corrosion!
If your dishwasher uses any kind of chemical, do not use it to
clean hood filters. Instead, clean the grease out of your hood filters
with hot soapy water and dry them immediately after.
If grease is allowed to build up in hood filters, the risk of
fire in your kitchen becomes very high. The more packed with grease
filters become, the less they filter from the smoke passing through
your ventilation system. That means the unfiltered grease ends up in
the ducting, and if enough builds up, it could catch fire, potentially
causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.
When To Replace Your Hood Filter
Conduct regular visual inspections of your hood filters. If
corrosion, dents, or wear has created holes or disfiguration of the
baffles, then it's time to replace them. It's important to replace worn
hood filters as quickly as possible. Otherwise, grease will build up in
the ducting of your ventilation system, and this can pose a very
serious fire risk.
Sizing And Replacing Your Hood Filter
Properly sizing your hood filter is the most important thing
you'll do before ordering a new one. Hood filters are typically sized ½
inch smaller in vertical and horizontal dimensions than the nominal
sizes listed for your hood ventilation system. In other words, if the
hood opening is 20" x 20", the correct sized hood filter for that
system is 19 ½ " tall by 19 ½ " wide.
To determine the vertical height of the filter, measure
parallel to the baffles from edge to edge. The horizontal width is the
distance from edge to edge perpendicular to the direction of the
baffles.
To replace your hood filter, lift the old filter out of the
slot rail in which it rests and slide it out. Slide the new filter all
the way into the slot opening and then drop the end into the rail. Make
sure you insert the hood filter with the baffles in a vertical
position! This means the lines in the filter are running up and down
and not side to side. Installing hood filters the wrong way means the
grease will not drain properly and cause clogging.
Greg McGuire is a regular contributor to The Back Burner, a restaurant news, trends, and marketing blog. He also works for eTundra.com, a company specializing in restaurant equipment, supplies, and equipment parts.